Low center of gravity free drop container



Nov. 5, 1963 J. H. NOURSE ETA]. 3,1

LOW CENTER OFGRAVITY FREE DROP CONTAINER Filed June 18, 1962 10/ f r INVENTORS William B. Crawfor Jess h. Nourse ATTORNEY United States Patent Army Filed June 18, 1962, Ser. No. 203,414 5 Claims. (Cl. 150-1) The invention relates to free drop containers of the type adapted to contain fluids or particulate material and be dropped from moving aircraft without the use of parachutes. Specifically, the invention is intended to be an improvement over our co-pending application, Serial No. 203,415, filed June 18, 1962.

In dropping of containers of this type it is imperative that they land uniformly at all times under all conditions, preferably on their under surfaces. Such containers are normally launched through a side door of the aircraft with either the top or the bottom facing forwardly. It has been discovered that whichever way the container was facing when dropped, it usually landed on that surface. Thus, if the top was facing forward, it landed on the top and vice versa.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved free drop container of the class described.

A further object is to provide such a free drop container which is downwardly offset relative to the fin whereby to provide such a container with a low center of gravity.

Other objects and advantages reside in the specific structure of the invention, the structure of the several elements of the same, combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing which illustrates one species of the invention and to the following specification wherein the invention is described and claimed.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 22 of FIG- URE 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts in all views, designates generally the container of the invention. Such container 10 comprises a generally cylindrical body 11 formed of any suitable flexible and impervious sheet material having sufficient strength to resist bursting upon impact with the ground while loaded. Container body 11 has a static horizontal center of gravity designated by the broken line 12. A suitable filling and pouring opening is formed in upper part of the container body 11 and is closed by any suitable closure 13.

An inverted and substantially frusto-conical fin is generally designated by 14 and comprises a hollow chamber formed with a lower Wall 15 which includes an inner edge 16 which is securely fastened to the body 11 in any suitable manner along a plane slightly below the center of gravity 12. Fin 14 includes an upper wall 17 which includes an inner edge 18 suitably secured to the body 11 along a plane located a substantial distance above the center of gravity 12. The fin walls 15 and 17 extend upwardly and outwardly of the container body 11 in converging directions. The walls 15 and 17 merge and are 3,109,473 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 "ice integrally secured together a substantial distance above the body 11 to form a free edge portion or rim 19. Rim 19 extends outwardly and laterally of the fin proper at an angle. In the form illustrated, the rim 19 is disposed normally on a plane which is substantially parallel to the center of gravity plane 12, but is not restricted to that angle. A suitable number of hand holds 20 are formed through the rim 19 to permit ready handling of the contain-er 10.

As in our copending application aforesaid, the hollow fin 14 is filled with a resilient compressible material to assist the walls of the container body 11 to withstand the shocks of ground impact. Air, foam rubber or mixtures of air and foam rubber fragments are examples of suitable compressible material.

The fin 14 normally assumes the solid line position of FIGURE 2 but is deflected to the broken line position of FIGURE 2 during free fall. By offsetting the fin 14 almost entirely above the continer body 11, the center of gravity of the container it) is lowered to assure that the same lands flatly when dropped. In this connection, it is essential that the container become stabilized promptly upon leaving the aircraft because some drops are made at heights no higher than a few hundred feet and it has been found that containers which land either on their tops or bottoms withstand ground impacts best. Obviously landing upon the bottom is to be preferred to avoid damage to the closure 13.

While there has been shown and described what is now thought to be the preferred species of the invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, we do not limit ourselves to the precise structure shown and described above except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. In a free drop liquid container, the combination with a substantially cylindrical container body having a horizontal center of gravity, of an annular stabilizing fin comprising an inverted frusto-conical chamber having upper and lower walls of flexible impervious material, said walls having inner edges respectively disposed above and below said center of gravity, said walls extending upwardly and outwardly of said container in converging directions, and said walls converging to provide a free outer edge disposed above said container.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said free outer edge of said fin is normally disposed in a plane substantially parallel to said horizontal center of gravity, and said free outer edge being adapted to be upwardly deflected during free fall of said container.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said chamber of said fin is filled with resilient compressible material.

4. The combination of said claim 1, wherein said inner edge of lower wall of said fin is located a slight distance below said horizontal center of gravity, and said inner edge of said upper wall of said fin is located a substantially greater distance above said horizontal center of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,784,755 Bender Mar. 12, 1957 

1. IN A FREE DROP LIQUID CONTAINER, THE COMBINATION WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER BODY HAVING A HORIZONTAL CENTER OF GRAVITY, OF AN ANNULAR STABILIZING FIN COMPRISING AN INVERTED FRUSTO-CONICAL CHAMBER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER WALLS OF FLEXIBLE IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL, SAID WALLS HAVING INNER EDGES RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED ABOVE AND BELOW SAID CENTER OF GRAVITY, SAID WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY OF SAID CONTAINER IN CONVERGING DIRECTIONS, AND SAID WALLS CONVERGING TO PROVIDE A FREE OUTER EDGE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID CONTAINER. 